Dec. 3: Michigan State Spartans guard Miles Bridges (22) laughs at guard Matt McQuaid (20) during the first half of a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mike Carter, USA TODAY Sports

After a 37-point win Saturday night, Northern Kentucky University head coach John Brannen suggested the 86-49 victory over Morehead State at BB&T Arena could be a watershed moment for his program this season.

Here are five takeaways from the emphatic win.

"It felt like we took the next step as a team tonight"

Now 6-2, NKU has led at halftime of every game its played. In its two loses to Vermont and Memphis – both two-point games – opponents remained in contention and eventually took won the game. Brannen wanted that trend to end.

Against Morehead State, the Norse led 38-28 at half, but the score was as close as four points with 2:30 left before the break. Saturday, they were able to not only keep a lead, but build a commanding one that eventually resulted in blowout fashion.

"It was something we really harped on all week," Brannen said about finishing out leads. "I could not be more proud of our team's defensive intensity from the beginning (against Morehead) until the end."

Defensive (and offensive) identity

Considering NKU is averaging more than 85 points per game this season, Brannen insisted that offensive productivity shouldn't overshadow his team's defensive prowess and identity.

Morehead only scored 28 points in the first half and followed up with 21 in the second. The Norse, who forced 21 turnovers, suffocated the Eagles offense, as the visitors had a 28 percent second-half field goal percentage. NKU had 35 points off turnovers, while only allowing Morehead to score 16 points in the paint.

A 48-point second half, NKU shot 72 percent the final 20 minutes as five players finished with double digit scoring.

The 2017-18 Horizon League preseason player of the year finished with a game-high 22 points on 8-for-16 shooting, including 5 of 8 on 3-point attempts. Scoring 11 points in each half, McDonald scored eight points inside the first two minutes of the second half. He played 26 minutes.

He's the 26th player in program history to surpass 1,000 points, which he achieved in 73 games.

Shooting just under 75 percent this season entering the Morehead State matchup, the Norse shot 10 of 26 at the free throw line – a season-low. Only three players shot at least 50 percent, with Jalen Tate going 3-for-6 and McDonald 1-for-2.

Morehead experiencing serious learning curve

The visiting team had won the previous four matchups between the teams, but the Eagles never really threatened the Norse with any serious venom.

Morehead has 10 incoming players this season, with only four returners from the 2016-17 season. Even that sounds misleading, though, considering the team brought back one start. Not starter – start.

Summing the Eagles up in one play, three minutes into the game, guard A.J. Hicks had a fast break with Morehead trailing 4-0. The only player on his side of the court, he dribbled the ball off his foot and out of bounds for an NKU possession.